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9D Council Perspective on 2004
By Devin/Jelaila
Written January 25, 2004
As you move into this new year, many remarkable changes are taking place. Before I begin, let me say that this message will be a combination of a Council Update on Project Earth Shift[1] as well as a Council Perspective of what we see as the possibilities and probabilitiesas we project out along the timelines for this year.
As we spoke in our last Council Update[2], with the advent of the 4 doors to the 4 dimensions now overlapping on your planet,and created by the cosmic alignment at Harmonic Concordance, many individuals have moved to higher levels of consciousness by moving through the doorway that most closely aligned with their level of consciousness at that time. Those choices will manifest this year as great changes on both a personal level as well asa planetary level. In other words, the choices you made to move through a higher level of door at Harmonic Concordance will require you to fully align with that level of consciousness this year. Your collective personal changes will result in a global shifting. Our purpose in this Perspective is to outline those changes and whether they are possibilities or probabilities.
Once again,allow me to define what I mean as a possibility or a probabilityas well as the 4 doors. A possibility means that there is a discernable amount of energy behind a particular thoughtform within the mass consciousness. If it continues to gain strength it will manifest in your world. A probability is a thoughtform with greater energy behind it than a possibility and that looks as though it will most surely manifest if that momentum of buildup continues. Both are dependent on the amount of people on your planet that give energy to the thoughtform by embracing it with emotion. This is why prayer (impassioned, excited, and focused intention) works so well when many people join in it together. It spurs a thoughtform into manifestation by quickly building the energy around it and drawing all that is needed in the way of money, people and opportunities to realize it. All it takes to manifest a thoughtform is impassioned and focused energy directed by intention and that is without any fear. The fear siphons the energy out of the thoughtform like a pinhole allows air to escape from a balloon.
Moving on to a definition of the 4 doors created at Harmonic Concordance, this cosmic alignment createda galactic gateway with a series of doors leading to the 4 dimensions or states of consciousness either fully developed or developing and their corresponding electromagnetic grids. Grids as we as said before are the infrastructure of dimensions. When these cosmic events occur, they give the people of the planet the opportunity to step up in consciousness. Each person on a soul level makes his/her choice based on his/her personal evolutionary plan. Hence, not everyone makes the same choice. The goal is to use these cosmic alignment opportunities to ascend the staircase of grids that have been created around the planet. The ultimate goal is that 70 percent of the population step up to the 9D grid by 2012 when the Grand Cycle ends and your sun along with your stellar sun and the galactic sun all align with the galactic equatorand move through the pulse of higher frequency energy emanating from the galactic core. This pulse will split the 4 grids or dimensions into physical worlds creating 4 parallel Earths.
The 3D door and timeline isalready manifestedand you currently reside within it. Those that chose this door will remain in 3D and eventually become locked within that dimension by way of the frequency fence[3] or matrix being built to secure it even as we speak. This fence, when fully functional will not allow anyone in (a security measure) but also will not allowanyone to escape, even after death. All souls will simply reincarnate back in that dimension unable to evolve any higher unless they can find the hidden doorway out of the prison.[4] This doorway out, one of our projects in Project Earth Shift was completed in November 2003. This leads me to a most important subject, we call it the "Doorway out of the Matrix." Hence the need for the movie, the Matrix—another multidimensional training film as we call it.
Though this matrix is an illusion, and the foundation of this grand experiment in polarity integration, it has the power to capture the heartsand souls of those who live in fear, devoid of the knowledge required to see it for what it is. Most of those in 3D fall into this category. The doorway out is hidden in the 9D Grid and can only be accessed by using the "inner technology" of compassion. This "inner technology" was encoded into your DNA for this very purpose and time. You canaccess this technology through your heart. It requires you to integrate the Light and Dark within you and there are tools or "keys" also encoded in your DNA to enable you to activateand use this "inner technology." This "inner technology" will generate compassion and compassion is the light that will illuminate the door so that you can see it.
Some of you may be asking, why is it necessary to havea Frequency Fence? Soul evolution occurs when a soul is able to immerse itself in a dark and difficult situation and in the midst of that situation, find the way out. Similar to the temples of initiation in ancientEgypt, the one that comes to mind is the Temple of Kommombo. This temple was known for the initiation in which the initiate had to dive into a pool swarming with hungry crocodiles and find the hidden doorway out of the pool before running out of air or being eaten. The door could not be found by using the external eyes, only by seeing through the inner eye, the third eye as you call it. Earth offers the greatest opportunity for soul evolution because it is a free will planet. This means as creator gods and goddesses you are allowed free reign to create the greatestand most intense tests of initiation using the forces of Light and Dark. The greater the challenge, the greater the growth. Installinga frequency fence arounda planet allows for the highest level of growth for those incarnate souls who choose to acquire the wisdom and complete the emotional clearing, while developing the psychic abilities necessary to find the doorway out.
The 4D door leads into the 4D grid and dimension currently developing on your planet. This one began as the first step out of the Matrix and even though some of the beliefs are more integrated, such as the one regarding reincarnation, it has become polarized to the Light. Of course, this is the norm for a planet stepping up the staircase of ascension. Still, this polarization to the Light is simply another extreme of the 3D polarization to the Dark. Both require that you give up your individuality and free will in order to create safetyand unity. I will speak more on this in an upcoming article.
The 5D door leads to the 5th dimension and timeline currently developing on your world. This dimension is the first of the 2 grids that lead back to the integration point of compassion, the point in the middle of the 2 polarities. This dimension is most easily identified by its infrastructure, the Internet. It is the dimension of information. It is the dimension in which great change occurs in the form of integration because all knowledge can be now known and therefore people can make informed choices as part of their integration process.
The 9D door leads to the 9th dimension and timeline. It is the newest grid being only a few years old, but already it is having a profound impact on your world. Created by a quantum leap in consciousness on 9/11/2001, this grid underpins the dimension where full integration occurs. It is the level at which an individual completely steps out of victimhood, leaving behind all beliefs that pertain to it. It is the dimension of personal empowerment and total responsibility for that power. It is the realm of souls who have finally remembered that they are creator gods and goddesses and therefore take 100 percent of the responsiblity for all that is in their reality. It is the toughest to achieve while at the same time, the most rewarding. It is synonymous with the number 9, the Fibonacci Spiral of creation,and the Void of Creation.
3D Economic, Social and Environmental Possibilities and Probabilities, on both a Personal and Global Level
Projecting along the timelines, we see that economic changesare a strong probability for this year. On a personal level they will manifest asan improvement in finances or financial ruin depending on one's level of fear around money. In other words, the more you fear money or fear taking responsibility for having it, the more you will experience deprivation. In 3D, those who can own their appreciationand respect for the power of money instead of feeling that is "the root of all evil" will fare very well. In addition, those who own their appreciation for money and at the same time desire security from terrorism and therefore readily agree to give up personal rights will fare well financially.
On a global level this economic polarization will be experienced as a great shift in economic power, from those who had it to those who will have it. Example, the jobs in the USA being transferred to India where they create a strong economic boom for India. This is occurring because the people of the USare having their fears around money being triggered by the "powers that be." As these fears come up to be cleared, they manifestas a monetary block in the form of money and prosperity being moved out of the US. In the US this manifests asan economic recession, the mass manifestation of people's money fears.
The social changes we see in the 3D timeline will involve a move to a complete police state from a democracy. This is already occurring and those with "ears to hear and eyes to see" are alreadyaware of it. When the flag of the 4thReich is raised it will be too late to escape. We see this move to a total police stateas a strong probability with the 4thReich public revealing itself within the next 2 years.
In addition, we see war that will continue and escalate until it captures all nations within its wake. We see this escalation of war as a strong probability as well.
On a personal level this social change will manifest asa feeling of imprisonment by one's fears. The Inner Child will act to block all possible attacks by insulting itself behind a self-created wall of suspicion. People will become more suspicious and fearful thus shunning new opportunities for intimacy and friendship. We see people separating into clans and clicks in order to create a sense of safety and security. Many will experience a war within themselves created by the struggle between the n intense longing to connect with others and the intense fear of being hurt. Once again, it is a strong probability for all individuals who chose the 3D door at Harmonic Concordance.
Pockets of the 4 levels of consciousness will become apparent with some being only a few miles apart from each other. These pockets are the second level of the 4 currently overlapping dimensions beginning to separateand manifest physically.
Now you can drive through areas of town and feel the energy shift from pocket to pocket. The environmental energy shifts, as well as, the energy of the people that inhabit the area. In the 3D pockets for example, the energy will feel very dense and depressed. The area will have a feeling of decay even though they may be located in the nicer areas of town—the people will appearas zombie like, filled with a sense of hopelessness, fear and despair. If you are ata higher level of consciousness, parts of the 3D pockets may momentarily disappear or people will in that area will not see you so be careful of your cars. Get intimatelyacquainted with your horns.
Environmental changes that we see for the 3D world will be an escalation of earth changes in the form of tornadoes, fires and earthquakes. On a personal level this will manifest as increased tension and conflict in relationships with anger being uncontrollably expressed. And if not anger, there will be many tearsas crying is often used to release the top layer of pain that lies just above the anger. Deep emotional wounds will surface but without the tools to integrate the painand clear them from the body, people will shun each other, families will be tornapart unable to heal.
4D Economic, Social and Environmental Possibilities and Probabilities, on both a Personal and Global Level
On a personal economic level we see a possibility of an economic downturn for those of this consciousness. Hampered by beliefs around money thatare still somewhat polarized such as the belief that money should not be necessary, or the one that states that if it is spiritual it must be free, along with their desire to create a world in which it does not exist, those of this first level of spiritual consciousness will find that their financial state will worsen until they move beyond these beliefs. As they own their desire to have money and are willing to tolerate the negative projections of their peers who have not, they will find they attract the people and opportunities that bring abundance into their lives.
On a global economic level we see a slightly possible positive shift for the better but it will come after the collective changes have been made. It will be challenging as deeply ingrained beliefs and peer pressure make it hard to change.
We see the probability of social changes towards a collective society as those of 4D gather together from the desire to be with others of like mind, but also to create a sense of safety and insulate themselves from the 3D world. If the later becomes the dominating force it will in many ways just be the polar opposite of the move in 3D to a police state. Both sides must give up freedoms and individuality to create unity and thus safety.
We see a strong probability of positive change in the area of spiritually based public entertainment of the 4D level. We see increasedacceptance of this knowledge being displayed through the attraction of large audiences for spiritually based films and TV shows.
On a personal level this will manifest asa growing acceptance of 4D spiritual concepts in corporate environments and in family relationships. Family members who may have heretofore rejected you will suddenly seek you out for spiritual understanding of events in their lives.
On an environmental level we see a global shift occurring with the portal and vortex points of earth. Old vortexes are closing as new ones are opening in new locations and that vibrate to higher levels of 4D, 5D and 9D consciousness respectively. On a personal level, many will be drawn to relocate to these new vortex points based on their level of consciousness. Or, they will be drawn to visit them in order to anchor templates into those grid points. These portalsand vortexes will be part of the 4D pockets of energy that will emerge. Advances in science and technology will occur around these portals and vortexes as individuals bring them through in the dream state or in periods of meditation.
5D Economic, Social and Environmental Possibilities and Probabilities, on both a Personal and Global Level
On a global level we see the probability that there will be strong economic growth that will come primarily through the Internet. The hunger for information of all kinds will underwrite this financial boom. On a personal level, we see that those in the business of disseminating information via the Internet will prosper with the ones who are teachers, helping others to access andassimilate the information, benefiting the most.
We see the strong probability of social changes for this level of consciousness brought about by the large quantity of hidden information being revealed. Much of what you would consider the dark and negative activities of your government and the Global Elite will come to light. Information will surface regardingactivities such as mind control, plans for the enslavement of Earth, biologicaland chemical warfare as well as the detention campsand underground laboratories where many "missing children" are imprisoned. Along with the darker information, much positive information will come to light. For example the knowledge of your 12th planet, its inhabitantsand real agenda for Earth will finally be revealed. The struggle to integrate the horror and find the value of the darker information will prove to be the greatest challenge. This process will shatter the current belief systems and bring abouta renaissance. Those who successfully integrate will experience a reality wherein they have greater peace in their relationshipsand environment.
In regards to environmental changes on a personal level, there is a strong probability that they will find themselves safe. For example, if there is atornado in their area, it will skip over their home. On a global level, people of the 5D consciousness will be drawn to live in areas that are overall safer in terms of earth changes.
9D Economic, Social and Environmental Possibilities and Probabilities, on both a Personal and Global Level
Economic changes area strong probability for those of this level of consciousness. On a personal level, they will manifest asan absolute need to shift any andall beliefs around money. For example, they must shift from seeing taxes as illegal (though they are)and the IRS asan institution to be abolished to understanding that this system is part of the Matrix,and like the Frequency Fence offers a grand opportunity to take back full power of one's ability to manifest monetary energy. In so doing this will bring forth a gratitudeand appreciation of this most powerfully dysfunctional system. Like the exams one must pass to enter college and have the opportunity to obtainan education, which is the ticket to a better life, so it is with the IRS institution. It's just another system through which you have the opportunity to obtain higher soul evolution and the right to play in more sophisticated universal games. Those who make this shift will begin to experience great abundanceand will be happy to pay the taxes, (tuition to EarthSchoolas we call it) in order to continue playingand growing in the game.
On a global scale those of this level of consciousness will see an economic shift for the better once they move through the fears around money and taxesand debt. They will experience their own form of NESARA[5] because they will understand that there is no individual or group who will be a savior,an inherent belief regarding NESARA. They understand that the only savior that they have will be themselves.
On a socialand global level those of this consciousness will experience greater peace in the world though on a 3D level the world appears to be going mad around them. Though they areaware of the Frequency Fence, they have already found the doorway out. They can take the micro chip implant but not be adverselyaffected by it because they don't have the fears that cause the chip to work. As a result they can be in the system andaffect the change they have come here to create. One cannot affect change in a system by staying outside of it; one must be inside of it to do so.
On an environmental level this group will experience little if any earth changes in the areas where they congregate. On a personal level they will see greater peace in their relationships especially with the family members they left behind when they began their spiritual path. Using 9th dimensional tools, they will heal their deeply buried wounds. Healing of family issues will occur as they come to value andappreciate the paths of others knowing that where those individuals are on their respective paths is perfect. So as they experience emotional peaceand inner healing, so their environment will mirror that back to them.
In closing, as you heed the call of your Souls to align yourself with the dimension of your choosing, you will feel the squeeze like a vise slowly but surely tightening around you. Know that the vise will loosen as you make the necessary shifts in consciousness.
To assist you in making these changes, many teachers have received the request from their Guides and Councils to hold workshops this year. Through these workshops you will receive the specific knowledge and assistance required to help you step up through the grids on your way out of the Matrix.
Let us say that this will be a year of great changeand unprecedented soul growth. The Dark will continue to provide the systems and conditions necessary to keep you moving forward, propelling you onward and upward. By the end of the year you will be able to see the pockets of dimensions around you and they will become evident even to the untrained eye.
Continue to develop your psychic abilities. Learn to use the "inner technology" encoded within you for this time. It is what you came here to experience. Allow the Dark to be your catalyst for change, not your enemy. When you can do this, you will experience the greatest period of growth and thus, the rewards that will surely follow.
In service,
Devin, through Jelaila Starr, with loving assistance from Jonathan Starr, Nancy Joy Hefron and the Galactic Counselors
Additional Resources:
The 7 Multidimensional Keys of Compassion – 7 multidimensional tools encoded in your DNA that activates
the "inner technology" of compassion.
Keys Overview article link: http://www.nibiruancouncil.com/html/keysoverview.html#
[1] Project Earth Shift is the name given to the plan that the 9D Nibiruan Council is
carrying out to assist Earth and her people through the ascension
process in order to take their place as galactic citizens in the
greater galactic community.
[2] The 9D Nibiruan Council Update for November 2003
[3] Frequency Fence, a grid of low frequency electromagnetic waves that creates a force field. This is scalar technology.
[4] This doorway out of the Matrix, part of the work of Project Earth Shift, was completed in November 2003 in Charlotte, North Carolina, a new vortex point on Earth's 9D electromagnetic grid. We will write about this in an upcoming article. [Author's note: the Carolina Panthers will be contenders in the Super Bowl this year. They are a team that came out of nowhere, so to speak, and have excelled defeating teams that were considered better both offensively and defensively than they.]
[5] NESARA – the National Economic Security and Recovery Act. For more information: http://www.nesara.us/pages/home.html
About Devin and Jelaila Starr
Devin is the head of the Galactic Federation's 9D Nibiruan Council
and spokesperson for that Council and Project Earth Shift. JelailaStarr,
messenger from the Galactic Federation's Nibiruan Council is a
gifted channel, teacher, counselor and author of We are the Nibiruans.Through her lectures, workshops, and articles, Jelaila's message
of compassion has touched the hearts of people around the globe
inspiring hope and understanding.
As a galactic counselor, Jelaila works with individuals to assist
them with emotional clearing, healing relationships, and DNA Recoding.
Jelaila's unique approach enables her clients to clearly discover
who they are, what they came to do and how to achieve it. Jelaila
can be reached at (816) 444-4364. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com - Website: www.nibiruancouncil.com

subset: commoncrawl


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For the purposes of discussing Showgirls, let's stipulate that the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is correct in its postulation of the existence of an infinite number of universes. Some of these universes might look similar enough to our own that, were you to suddenly find yourself in one of them due to some improbable quantum phenomenon, you could navigate it with only a small degree of discomfort. Taking this as a given, it's certainly possible that the universe in which Showgirls takes place exists in another plane of reality. This is a universe in which the dancers of Las Vegas are international superstars of great interest to the media, in which women walk down the street wearing what is essentially underwear, in which a floppy haircut and neon palm trees on your property make you cool, in which someone can dance like an epileptic chimp and actually rise to the heights of stardom.
Say you somehow arrive unexpectedly in this universe. You might not notice anything is wrong at first. Probably you sense that everything is more colorful, somehow a little too bright. Then you see that this is true of not just the light but everything—everything appears to be an exaggerated version of itself. Even the people are hyperreal, identifying themselves as archetypes as soon as they've met you. A narrative unfolds before you, and it looks familiar. It's about a girl said to be very talented, but also obviously deeply troubled, trying to scratch her way to the top of the Las Vegas showgirl dancing circuit. Of course you recognize this story as a version of what in our universe we call the American dream. But in this telling, the story's edges are ragged and bizarre, and even when plot developments are predictable, something is warped in the way they unravel. Most surprisingly, by the end, nothing has changed and no one has learned anything. Somewhere, Paul Verhoeven is pulling on marionette strings and laughing inscrutably.
Please understand that I am a besotted, slavering fan of Showgirls. I don't think there's a film that can touch it for sheer nerve. Is it bad? Is it secretly good? Is it so bad it's good? Is it so bad/good that it's actually, ultimately, bad? I'm not interested in the möbius-strip continuum of goodness and badness that seems to frequently come up when discussing this film. What keeps me watching again and again is the film's weirdness, its energy, and its utter lack of apology for being the mess that it is. You're only going to enjoy Showgirls if you want a movie you can enter completely and surrender your brain to. This movie shows up on your doorstep in tears, demands kisses, smashes your windows, spits in your face, and leaves you in want of a shower.
There would be no Showgirls without the biggest attention fiend of them all, our heroine Nomi "Did You Notice There's a Pun in My Name?" Malone. Oh, inimitable Nomi! In the first, say, fifteen minutes, Nomi hitchhikes, pulls a switchblade on someone, wins heaps of money on a slot machine, loses it all again, is offered money for sex, gets all her belongings stolen, attacks someone's car, narrowly avoids death, throws up on a stranger's shoes, and throws french fries all over a patio. And it just keeps getting better. When she hails a cab, she flails her entire body into the street to get its attention. When she eats a hamburger, she ravages it like a starving shark. When she seeks revenge, she prepares for the role by porning up her hair and putting lipstick on her nipples. When she dances, she dances… well, the dancing is amazingly graceless, to say the least. In her actions, her choices, her emotional ups and downs, and her clothes and makeup, Nomi epitomizes the hyperreal. Like a theoretical five-dimensional object brought into our own dimension, she can be observed, but her reality isn't entirely comprehensible to our senses. I think this is why almost every other character in the film is instantly enamored of her. She draws people to her not with any obvious charm, but with the supernatural force of her mystique, a force at least as intense as gravity. And it's that force keeping the whole film together, for without people to love her, Nomi could never ascent to the heights of smut that she does.
Nomi excels at the three types of dance the Showgirls universe allows for. First, there's the kind of dancing Nomi does at the Cheetah, which is presented as inherently degrading. Second, there's the kind of dancing that appears in Goddess, the big show at the Stardust, which is presented as edgy and racy but also well within the realm of acceptable, even sophisticated, commercial entertainment. Third, there's the kind of dancing that James, who studied with the Alvin Ailey troupe, tries to teach Nomi, which is presented as high art. This is the only dancing that James feels is worth Nomi's time and talent.
And all these distinctions are all very well and good, except that all the dance is exactly the same. "Dancing ain't fucking," says James, but in fact every form of dance in this world is a form of fucking.1 I'm no expert on dance, but come on: the big quasi-artistic routine that James writes to show off Nomi's much-lauded talent is called "A Private Dance" and is basically a choreographed lapdance that depends heavily on simulated oral sex. (Also, when they rehearse it, it ends up leading naturally into some of the grossest sex play in the film.) Goddess features topless women in identical wigs simulating BDSM and climaxes with a naked wedding/ascension-into-heaven that makes little sense except as porn for Catholic weirdos. The fact that the directors of Goddess wonder out loud whether Nomi's background is as clean as they'd like it to be points to their utter hypocrisy. They might have no idea what kind of show they're actually running, but everyone watching this movie does.
So is Nomi a whore? She certainly insists vigorously that she's not, even though almost every character disbelieves her. And can dancing, in fact, save her from the whoring she's been forced to do her whole life? Of course not, because by definition here in Showgirls land, dancing equals whoring. When Nomi finally realizes the sordidness of what she's been doing, that her path out of the gutter has actually led her right back to the gutter, it's meant to be a huge revelation, but it's no surprise to anyone paying attention. One of the big clichés about this film is that, despite all the nudity, it's about the least erotic film ever made, and I think a lot of the reason why is because all the scenes with nudity are either businesslike (backstage at the clubs) or completely demeaning (the dancing, the infamously awful sex scene). We can all see that Nomi's whoring herself out long before she can.
A woman like Nomi gets used to being alone I would imagine, and indeed she's not great at having any relationships that looks normal to us here in our universe. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who never wrote a female relationship he didn't want to insert a lesbian subtext into, is particularly clumsy with capturing the sense of female, us-against-them camaraderie that I think is supposed to exist in the backstage scenes at the Cheetah and maybe also at the Stardust. And Molly, Nomi's pushover roommate and BFF, is really very little more than that. There's a tone-deaf feel to most of the dialogue between women.2 Besides, what woman can appear in a shot with Nomi and not be instantly relegated to the background?
No woman—except for the glorious Cristal Connors. Cristal is an older, wiser, and more talented version of Nomi. But the major difference between them is a deal-breaker as far as friendship goes. The scales dropped from Cristal's eyes long ago, and she knows the secret that we filmgoers know too, which is that all dance in this universe is actually a form of prostitution. It takes Nomi the whole movie to learn that dancing is fucking, and meanwhile, as long as Cristal keeps telling her she's a whore, their relationship must be fraught with tension. This is not a petty argument. The question of whoredom is central to Nomi's entire worldview. She will not be a whore again if she can help it, and she just can't believe that her dream of dancing is just a cypher for whoring.
The relationship between Nomi and Cristal is strained, but as they know, they have a great deal in common. Their lunch at Spago illustrates their natural affinity and is actually a little moving. Both of them ate dog food as children, and liked it—and as they both admit it, they eye each other over the table with small smiles of perfect understanding. This is actually the only piece of information Nomi ever gives about her childhood to anyone. She is too ashamed to speak any more directly about growing up in poverty, but in that moment when she realizes that she and Cristal have the same background, and that the two of them are lunching together about a million miles from the dog food dish where they started, there's a glimmer of why they are attracted to each other in the first place. And you can see why Nomi could, if she weren't just so Nomi about it, take on Cristal as a mentor. Whatever Cristal did to get here, whatever she had to sell of her soul, Nomi seems to gradually accept the idea that it was worth it. Cristal is definitely a whore. Nomi is a whore-in-training who eventually defeats Cristal at her own game.
As she says at the end, in this whole sordid story, Nomi's at least found herself. But that doesn't mean what you might think it would mean, that she's finally giving up her whorish nature and will devote her life to being a decent law-abiding citizen. Nope—she's on her way to Los Angeles, in the exact same truck she rode in on, to whore herself out in a whole new city. This is the perfect ending because there is no softer, better side to Nomi that the film wants her to discover about herself. The ending we expect is completely turned on its head. She is only the person that we see, the tempestuous dancer who's going to keep selling herself as long as she's got buyers. What did you win, Nomi? "Me," she says with a grin. What she's learned, if anything, is that she's as awful as everyone always thought she was.
For a universe so colorful and glittery and smutty and fun, Showgirls ultimately offers a bleak worldview. Are you a cheerfully humble person who lacks any grandiose ambitions beyond a crush on one unattainable guy? Showgirls will rape you with that guy. Are you a legitimate artist who wants to care for a gifted, vulnerable person in your life but can't seem to find a way? Showgirls will get your girlfriend pregnant and force you into a loveless marriage. Are you a superstar at the top of your game? Showgirls will push you down the stairs and break your hips like the old lady you really are. Are you a conniving yet troubled young ingénue whose search for stardom is really, probably, a search for love? Showgirls will strip you down and reveal you for the whore you really are. No matter who you are, Showgirls will dress you in all kind of artifice while never forgetting your dark, dirty truths. So if you do ever find yourself in a film like this one - and I hope you don't - you may as well revel in all that beautiful, beautiful smut.
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Under where? Talk about unmentionable.
Victoria's Secret had to close for a few hours this week after a bed bug sighting in the store on Lexington Avenue at 58th Street.
The lingerie retailer released a statement on Friday saying: "As a proactive measure, we tested our Manhattan stores. When we found small, isolated areas that may have been impacted, we immediately took action to resolve the situation."
The buggy discovery at this underwear retailer follows recent exterminations at Manhattan locations of Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister. Not to mention thousands of complaints from New York City residents that these little nocturnal pests have been creeping around with increasing regularity.
"They're hard to kill," said Lou Sorkin, a leading bug expert at the American Museum of Natural History.
New York health officials say the good news is bed bugs are not particularly dangerous, because they don't spread disease and up to 30 percent of humans don't feel the bites one bit.
That's small comfort for Upper East Siders who've seen a rash of bed bugs in the high-priced co-ops of East End Avenue, among other tony addresses.
"This woman I know couldn't sleep," said writer Lisa Birnbach. "Because she felt they were around her. It'll turn anyone into a lunatic. And great for our real estate values. Thanks alot."


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Car recycler to purchase old filaments property
MIDDLEBURY — A metal recycling company has entered into contract to buy the former Monahan Filaments property at 3046 Case St., Middlebury, where it plans to employ up to 30 people to disassemble vehicles and other metal equipment and sell the reusable parts.
The prospective buyer of the foreclosed property is Rutland-based Earth Waste Systems (EWS). The company already has a presence in Middlebury — as the Wyre Wheel at 4079 Route 7 South — and has other locations in Castleton and Morrisonville, N.Y.
EWS Executive Vice President, CFO and spokesman Brian R. Kubricky was out of the state and unavailable for comment as the Addison Independentwent to press. But Kubricky outlined EWS's plans for the Case Street property in a Feb. 25 letter on file at the Middlebury planning office.
"Our plan is to use the existing industrial zones land and building to augment our existing industrial scrap metal recycling activities in Middlebury," Kubricky wrote. "Specifically, our plan is to bring automobiles and other recyclables purchased over the scale and at local auctions to the site, move them into the existing building(s), perform a partial disassembly, and prepare them to be fully recycled."
Kubricky stated "usable parts and sub-assemblies" will be separated and placed into inventory for sale through the Internet or through the company's retail yards.
He added:
• No retail sales will take place at the site.
• Fluids will be removed from the vehicles, with the non-salvageable portions crushed for more convenient trucking to the "end-users."
• Recycling activities will be conducted in a "contained, environmentally friendly manner in accordance with local, state and federal requirements."
• There are no plans to store materials outside the buildings.
"It is our desire to once again make the site a place where local people can work and earn a living," Kubricky wrote.
More than 140 people were making a living at the site as recently as 2008, when Monahan Filaments was still manufacturing a variety of plastic bristles for brooms, brushes and other products. But like Specialty Filaments before it, the Illinois-based Monahan company could not make a go of it at the Middlebury site. Citing declining sales and increased competition, Monahan closed the Middlebury business on Nov. 15, 2009, only a few years after acquiring the property out of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for $3.125 million.
The property went into foreclosure and is now controlled by the National Bank of Middlebury.
"We are pleased to have an offer on the building," National Bank of Middlebury President G. Kenneth Perine said on Thursday. "We are delighted to see it is going to be put back into use."
Perine anticipates a mid-April closing on the property.
In the meantime, Middlebury Town Planner Fred Dunnington will review EWS's specific plan for the property and potentially give it an administrative green light without the proposal having to go for a full review before the town's Development Review Board.
Dunnington said EWS's proposed use of the Case Street property appears reasonable, given the configuration and construction of the buildings.
"These buildings were put up in the 1960s and '70s and are not models of energy efficiency," Dunnington said. "Using them for storage or recycling purposes … would not be far from what they were used for before."
The close proximity of a scenic pond and wooded area, Dunnington said, could generate some concerns about potential pollution. But he noted plans call for the vehicles to be kept and disassembled indoors, thereby reducing the potential for environmental contamination.
"From my point of view, this seems like a good fit," Dunnington said. "It doesn't require sewers, because they aren't using processed water; they are collecting and recycling all the fluids and properly disposing of them in an environmental manner — not through floor drains."
He added that based on EWS's representations, traffic levels at the site would not exceed those that existed before.
"We don't see that (this use) would be a substantial change," Dunnington said.
If the company does introduce new changes, they would have to be brought before the public and the Development Review Board, according to Dunnington.
Addison County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Robin Scheu is excited to see a new use for the Case Street property.
"I am certainly very supportive of what they say they will do, per the (Kubricky) letter," Scheu said. "The property has been a challenging one, and I am glad EWS was able to see a way to use it productively and efficiently.
"It seems like all good news to me."
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].


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Multisim™ software connects theory to reality with easy-to-configure simulation and analysis tools to give students deeper insights into circuit behavior.
Multisim™ software is a circuit simulator developed for students to learn analog, digital, and power electronics. Over 20 different interactive analyses correlate theory and reality with simulation and analysis tools proven to prepare students for authentic design challenges.
Students can easily get started using the intuitive schematic interface in Multisim™ to select components, wire the schematic, and simulate a circuit in just a few minutes.
Students can use the included simulation-driven instruments to drive the circuit, measure the circuit's behavior, and examine simulation results. These easy-to-configure instruments are set, used, and read just like their real-world equivalents.
Students can easily perform a range of analyses, including AC Analysis, DC Operating Point, Fourier Analysis, Parameter Sweep, and 16 more.
Online, interactive, mobile-friendy labs pair Multisim with important foundational concepts. Students work hands-on with both simulated and physical components, reinforcing the theory taught in lecture. Built-in quizzes guide the student through the lab to ensure proper understanding.
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The Only Way to Stop Climate Change Now May Be Revolution
Fed up with slow (or in some cases, backwards) progress on climate change, environmental advocates are mulling desperate measures. Emerging at the head of this pack is arguably the world's most prominent climate scientist: James Hansen, a former NASA researcher turned activist.
So it's come to this.
Last year, a researcher presented a paper on climate change at the American Geophysical Union's meeting entitled "Is Earth F**ked?" which advocated "environmental direct action, resistance taken from outside the dominant culture, as in protests, blockades and sabotage by indigenous peoples, workers, anarchists and other activist groups."
Last month, the Philippines climate commissioner and self-styled revolutionary Naderev "Yeb" Saño held a 13-day fast in the midst of an international climate summit, just hours after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged his home country. In a tearful speech quoting Gandhi, he said: "We cannot sit and stay helpless staring at this international climate stalemate. It is now time to take action. We need an emergency climate pathway."
And only last week, a conference of climate scientists in London explored the theme of "radical emissions reduction" after noting that "nothing that we've said or done to date about climate change has made any detectable dip whatsoever". Via a weblink, author Naomi Klein compared the fight against climate change with the struggle against South African apartheid, and said, "an agenda capable of delivering radical emissions reductions will only advance if accompanied by a radical movement."
Fed up with slow (or in some cases, backwards) progress on climate change, environmental advocates are mulling desperate measures. Emerging at the head of this pack is arguably the world's most prominent climate scientist: James Hansen, a former NASA researcher turned activist.
In a provocative study published earlier this month, Hansen and a group of colleagues make the case for why radical action is needed. The now commonly embraced international target of keeping global warming at a maximum of 2°C above pre-industrial levels—a hard-won, but politically negotiated goal—is actually much too high, Hansen says, and we should instead aim for 1°C. That would be barely a blip higher than current levels of global warming (around 0.8°C), but still the highest level ever experienced over the 10,000-year course of human civilization. "Our objective is to define what the science indicates is needed, not to assess political feasibility," the paper says.
Why 1°C is the danger level
Hansen's main point is simple: If the Earth hasn't experienced temperatures warmer than 1°C as a result of natural climate variability for at least the last 100,000 years, that's probably about where we should draw our human-caused global warming line-in-the-sand. Beyond that point, things start to unravel pretty quickly. Environmentalists have dubbed this acceleration of warming "the wheelchair curve":
Because the world is going to end up in a wheelchair if this happens. Jos Hagelaars/Max Edkins/World Bank
As warming crosses 1°C, Hansen and his colleagues' research shows that additional heat is stored mostly in the deep ocean, where it can remain locked away for hundreds or thousands of years. (Water circulates very slowly down there). That essentially locks in further climate change, even if emissions are drastically reduced later on, because that circulating water will continually replenish the surface with relative warmth from below. Additional warming will also begin to trigger feedbacks (melting permafrost, thawing methane) that will unleash additional greenhouse gases and drive further warming.
As warming approaches 2°C, it locks in an additional 10-20 meters of sea level rise over the next few hundred years—enough to flood every coastal city in the world. Ecosystem collapse would be virtually assured, as plants and animals that have evolved into precise niches over hundreds of thousands of years are forced to adapt to new conditions in just a decade or two. Even assuming we eventually stop emitting CO2 completely, reaching 2°C could, the study shows, mean we remain above 1°C for hundreds of years or more.
And if warming goes over 2°C, Hansen and his colleagues present a familiar litany of climate impacts: mass extinctions, stronger storms, and increasingly severe effects for human health, along with "major dislocations for civilization."
The study's key takeaway is that unless CO2 emissions peak right about now—which they are clearly not doing—in just a few more years we will lock in a 2°C rather than a 1°C temperature rise. That will set climate impacts in motion for the next thousand years or so, barring advances in technology that are currently largely discredited as either too expensive or too impractical on the scale necessary to reverse the warming that's already baked into the system.
Why emissions need to start falling now
As we reported recently, the UN has endorsed a carbon "budget"—a maximum of one trillion tonnes of carbon emitted into the atmosphere to keep warming below 2°C. To stay below 1°C, Hansen et al argue that the world can burn only half this amount.
To achieve this, they say, global CO2 emissions would need to peak immediately and decline three times faster than the rate currently being discussed for inclusion into the next global climate treaty—a 90% reduction by 2030. The current UN plan (dotted line in the chart on the left below) won't even be implemented until 2020 at the earliest. Even if by some miracle Hansen's plan (the solid line in the chart on the left) took effect this week, he says we'd still have only a 50/50 shot at staying under 1°C.
How different rates of emissions reduction will affect CO2 levels. J. Hansen et al/PLOS One
But the cost of waiting is enormous. If global CO2 peaks in 2013—that is, sometime in the next week or so—followed by drastic reductions, we're still locked in to climate change of 1°C or so until about 2100. If we delay this peak until 2030 (the green line in the chart on the right above), Hansen projects extensive climate-change impacts will continue for a further two centuries. If we delay until 2050 (the red line), dangerous climate change will be locked in until past the year 3000.
Basically, if we wait even a few years to implement anything less than a fossil-fuel starvation diet, momentum already built into the system nearly guarantees the climate is toast. To quote the study:
The inertia of energy system infrastructure, (i.e., the time required to replace fossil fuel energy systems) will make it exceedingly difficult to avoid a level of CO2 that would have highly undesirable consequences.
Why revolution is the only way
Hansen and his associates admonish the environmental community for doing the same things over and over again—advocating for renewable energy, recycling, and hybrid cars—and expecting different results. The change that is produced in this way is much, much too slow, they say. Their study concludes with what can only be characterized as a call to arms: a global challenge akin to the anti-slavery and civil rights movements, begging the world's young people to disrupt their governments and demand immediate action on climate change.
In short, we're talkin' 'bout a revolution—or in the words of the paper, "a human 'tipping point'."
Are there no other options? Hansen and his co-authors argue there is a sliver of hope the world could stay near a 1°C goal if there were a bilateral agreement between the US and China—the world's two biggest carbon emitters. Such a deal would need to immediately implement a gradually escalating carbon tax, rebate the revenue to its citizens equally per person, and place trade duties on any other country not willing to join in. That could quickly shift the world to a low-carbon economy, perhaps with enough cushion to prevent the most dangerous aspects of climate change. However, the authors dismiss this possibility as extremely unlikely.
Another possible silver bullet, trusting technology to zap climate change via geoengineering (like sucking carbon dioxide directly from the air) is also a non-starter. Hansen et al calculate that the cost of immediately implementing free-air carbon capture, an unproven technology at large scale, would be around $50 trillion, though they admit that cost could come down a bit with future advances.
In Hansen's view, young people have the best reason to fight the system. He has said he quit his job at NASA so he could more fully embrace climate activism, including a plan to sue the government on behalf of younger generations for failing to act on climate change in time. (At least in the United States, trying to sue corporations would probably fail). He explained his strategy of helping youth fight climate change through the court system in a recent op-ed for CNN.
And indeed, the US military already seems to be preparing for climate-induced mass protests, the Guardian reported in June, based on documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
But as with all revolutions, the fight for the climate will need a catalyst. It's unclear what that might be, especially when the very consumption culture that forms the bedrock of the present-day economic system is so ubiquitous—and also at the root of the climate problem itself. Young people growing up now contemplating their futures may have the biggest reason for alarm, but with a problem like climate change that feels complex, distant and abstract, it may be hard to make the urgency that Hansen expresses resonate broadly.
And even if a "human tipping point" comes—an Arab Spring for the climate—will it sustain its momentum or, like most of the recent uprisings, burn out or collapse into factional bickering?


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There's lots of advice out there about how you have to develop an elevator pitch, use self branding to communicate your message and speak up in meetings to make sure the boss doesn't forget you.
But what about the introverts who quietly do their jobs every day, who keep companies humming along without saying much?
This story I did for Gannett/USA Today shows that managers would be remiss in not realizing their value....
Are you the type of person who works quickly, is open to new opportunities and plans for best-case scenarios?
Or are you the type who works slowly, strives for accuracy and feels anxious when things go wro
Your answers not only give insights into your strengths but also can help you — and your bosses — understand what best motivates you to achieve results. The topic is explored in a new book, Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence.
Authors Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins say that the old carrot-and-stick approach of motivation doesn't work. The reason: Different people have different motivations. Using the wrong approach can backfire and lead to failure.
If you're someone comfortable taking chances but often without a Plan B, you're considered a promotion-based person. That means inspirational role models motivate you, and you become more engaged when you hear about a high-performing salesperson. You feel dejected when things go wrong.
On the other hand, those who have top-notch analytical and problem-solving skills, are stressed by short deadlines and are uncomfortable with praise are considered prevention-focused. Strong cautionary tales that show lessons learned after a wrong approach motivate them best.
People who are promotion-focused people often thrive in more creative careers, such as musicians, copywriters, inventors and consultants, Higgins says. They thrive in jobs where they are rewarded for being innovative, and practicality isn't a top priority.
"They are eager and enthusiastic and willing to take some chances," he says.
The prevention-focused often do better in more conventional jobs such as administrators, bookkeepers and technicians.
"It's more natural for them to be vigilant," he says.
The key for managers is employing both kinds of workers then playing to their strengths by using the right kind of motivation, Higgins says.
The best way managers can tell the kind of employee they are dealing with is by looking at whether the person seems to be an optimist or a worrier, Halvorson says.
"How do they respond to your suggestions when you suggest something new? Are they enthusiastic, or do they chime in with their own ideas? If so, that's promotion-focused. Do they seem uncomfortable and argue for the old way of doing things? Then that's prevention-focused," she says.
Halvorson says employees also can use their own predisposition to be more successful at work.
If you know you're a creative type who responds well when you feel like you're making progress, you can let the boss know that acknowledging small wins keeps you motivated. Or if you do better when you have more time to get things done correctly, let the boss know you like honest feedback.
"My experience with managers when leading seminars or consulting is that they reallywant this information," Halvorson says. "When you phrase it as 'This is what works best for me' rather than 'I need you to do this,' it can be a really productive exchange."
Halvorson and Higgins say they hope the research will help managers better understand what they need to do to motivate workers — and what workers can do to motivate themselves.
"Motivation is not one size fits all," Halvorson says. "Promotion- and prevention-focused people work very differently, but they can both be very successful when given tasks and feedback that fit with their motivational focus."


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Susie replies:My boyfriend and I have been going out for a year and are really in love. We started to have sex a few months ago and everything was going great until we tried doggy style. When we did it, it hurt a lot; it actually hurt so much that my knees buckled. Ever since then I've been scared to try it again because it felt so awful for me, which really sucks because my boyfriend liked it a lot and it would have been great if it was nice for both of us. Now even when he's on top, if he thrusts really hard and goes in deep, I get a shooting pain like up my spine and all over my tummy, at one point i felt like pressure and a popping feeling around the upper middle of my tummy. Mind you, this is only during deep penetration. I don't really know what is up. It would be great if you could give me a little advise on what's happening, and what I could do to prevent this! Thank you so much!
It sounds like he's ramming into your cervix. A lot of people with vaginas really don't like that 'cause it can be painful.
Look at this diagram from Innies & Outies and notice how the vagina ends at the tip of the cervix. The vagina is only about 4 or 5 inches deep, so if a penis is longer than that, it's gonna bottom out if it goes in too far. In your case, because he's going too far, he's hitting up against the cervix, causing you a lot of discomfort.
When you were having sex on top, it was easier for you to control the depth of insertion. Other positions, you need to be assertive enough to shout the occasional direction like, "Hey, slow down," or "Okay, ease up, don't go in so far." Doggy style is especially notorious for deepening insertion (and not always in a good way).Your posture during doggy style makes your vagina shorter, thus more likely to result in your cervix getting bopped. If you want to continue with this position, you need to be able to tell your boyfriend what you need him to do. In general, being able to communicate effectively is key for any sexual relationship, but here it's key. Otherwise, you're just going to keep being in pain.
For more info, check out:


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Get the information you need for your health insurance in California. Find answers to frequently asked questions about claims, benefits, doctors, emergency care, and more. Or, members can log in to start a Live Chat with us.
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Oban and area
Accommodation & Sightseeing
Oban with Kerrera & Mull in the background
Oban is the ideal base for visiting Dunstaffnage Castle,
Ardchattan Priory, Inveraray and many west coast islands.
Oban Transport & Travel
By road Oban is:
By coach:
By train:
Oban station is at the end of the line which branches off from the main Glasgow to Fort William railway.
trainline is the official way to check timetables and book train tickets online.Airport:
Hebridean Air Services has flights between Oban airport and the islands of Islay, Tiree, Coll and Colonsay. The airport is suitable for small aircraft only.
Fly Scenic Scotland offers sightseeing trips from Oban airport in a 4-seater or 8-seater plane. Booking required. Tel: 01236 734672.
Ferries at Oban, with Kerrera and Mull in the backgroundBoat trips (day trips)
You can take lots of day trips from Oban by ferry to nearby islands. There are also many private boats advertised around the harbour which make regular trips over to Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull. Visit the local tourist office for dates and times of all the boat trips available. It is also possible to visit Mull, Iona and Staffa on combined ferry and coach day-trips from Oban. See below for details.
- Wildlife boat trips on the spacious catamaran Mara Mhor start from the Corran Esplanade Slipway (opposite the Regent Hotel). Dolphin, seals and birds may be seen. Cruises include a 2-hour cruise around the isle of Kerrera, a half-day trip into the Sound of Mull to spot eagles, and a 1-hour trip to the seal colony. Contact Ron Stevenson. Mob: 07774 475995 / Tel: 01631 563387. Charters by request.
- Allan's seal trips take on a little boat called the MV Purple Heather from the railway pier. Mob: 07732554746 / Tel: 01631 565 059.
- Basking Shark Scotland offers unique snorkelling trips from their boat out of Oban. Trips operate from April until October (the peak season for sharks June - August). Telephone 07975723140.
The National Kayak School based in Oban offers canoeing courses and holidays, and also has the Sea Kayak Oban shop & outfitters in Argyll Street, just off George Street. Tel: 01631 565 310.
Stramash offers adventure days with sea kayaking, white water kayaking, coasteering, canyoning, gorge scrambling, rock climbing & abseiling, open canoeing, dinghy sailing, bushcraft, mountain skills and much more. Individuals, groups and schools welcome. Tel: 01631 566080.
Cruise ships / charters
Advance booking is required for all these cruises.
- Hebrides Cruises sail from Oban offering wildlife cruises and holidays around Argyll, Skye the Outer Hebrides and St Kilda. The 'Elizabeth G' sleeps 12 guests, and 'Speideren' sleeps up to 8. Private charters available.
- Moonshadow Yacht Charter Ltd (based at Dunstaffnage Marina, near Oban) offers 4-12 day skippered sailing holidays around the west coast of Scotland including the Hebrides and St Kilda aboard an Oyster 68.
- Northern Light Charters has 4 small ships which offer a variety of private charter, wildlife cruises, bird-watching and whale-watching cruises, dive charter, island cruising, and research and survey services. Based in Oban.
- Sails and Summits offer skippered sailing holidays exploring the west coast of Scotland & the Hebrides. This ocean sailing cruiser with crew is available for up to 5 people. No experience required. Trips range from 3 to 10 nights. Hill walking, mountain and gorge scrambling, rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking and canoeing can be arranged. RYA navigation courses also available. Based in Oban.
- The Majestic Line operate 3 and 6-night cruises from Oban (and from Holy Loch, near Dunoon) in converted traditional wooden vessels with 6 cabins (for 12 guests) to explore the coastline and islands of Argyll. April to October.
- Hebridean Princess - small cruise ship (48 guests) offering 5 star luxury accommodation and food. Sails from Oban. Variety of itineraries on the west coast and Hebrides. March - November.
- Noble Caledonia - variety of itineraries and cruise ships, including expeditions to various Scottish islands.
Car hire:
- Hazelbank Motors (tel: 01631 566476)
- Flit Van & Car Hire (tel: 01631 566553)
- Munro's Garage (tel: 01631 567439) - the local Avis agent.
Tour Guides:
- Kathleen Cameron is a professional Scottish tour guide living in Inveraray (tel: 01499 30 2361 or mobile phone: 07777 5691641). For walking or driving tours in cities, towns, or countryside, she can accompany groups of any size, from independent travellers (up to 7 in her own vehicle) to coach parties. Tours can be started from any destination including Edinburgh or Glasgow. Fluent in Spanish.
Oban harbour overlooked by McCaig's TowerOban Sightseeing & Shopping
Thanks to the ferry and railway, this is a busy town with many shops, banks, supermarkets, garages, and post office. It is the ideal place to stay and explore the surrounding area or to stop overnight if you are on your way to the Isle of Mull. Known as the Gateway to the Isles, it has a population of some 8,500.
Oban is now known as the Seafood Capital of Scotland, and indeed it offers a great taste of Scotland with its many seafood restaurants, chocolate shop and whisky distillery).Ferries leave Oban for the following islands: Islay, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Mull, Lismore, Barra and South Uist. Numerous day trips are possible - see below for ferry day trip details.
Many day excursions are possible from Oban by car. Visitors without transport will need to check out the local bus timetables (see West Coast Motors). You can also take advantage of the Citylink coach services which operate on the road north to Fort William, on the road south to Lochgilphead in Argyll and Kintyre, and also inland to Inveraray (see below).
There are lots of shops, pubs and restaurants in Oban including major chains such as Boots, WH Smiths, Waterstones, Tesco and the Co-op. For eating out click here. Right by the railway, on the pier is a modern centre aimed at tourists with souvenir shops, cafes and the ferry office.
The Oban War & Peace Museum is in the old Oban Times building, near the Regent Hotel and the North Pier. Open daily from March to November. Admission free. Tel: 01631 570007. How about a trip to the Oban Chocolate Factory?
They have a cafe, shop and factory down on the Corran Esplanade just past the War & Peace Museum - tel: 01631 566099.
Open daily from Easter to late September (closed on Sundays in the winter). Closed throughout January.
Oban War & Peace Museum |
The Oban Distillery Visitor Centre in Stafford Street (near the North Pier) is open Monday to Friday from March to November (plus some weekends in summer) for guided tours. There's an audio visual exhibition and gift shop. Telephone 01631 572 004. The new VisitScotland tourist information centre is on the corner by the North Pier (near the restaurants called Piazza and Ee-usk): please note this is not the pier where the Calmac ferry terminal is situated. |
The bay is dominated by McCaig's Tower, a replica of the Colosseum of Rome. A banker called John McCaig had it built between 1897 and 1900 as a memorial to his family and to provide employment for the townsmen. It's quite a steep climb to the top of the hill, but there are a couple of benches where you can sit and get your breath back. On a clear day you can see over to Mull. Some books call it McCaig's Folly. He was born on the nearby island of Lismore (see below).
View from Pulpit Hill with the ferry leaving Oban harbour for Mull
Photo courtesy of Lorna Campbell who is a relative of the late John Stuart McCaig (who founded the McCaig Tower).
You can also visit the cathedral which is located on The Esplanade.The Atlantis leisure centre in Oban includes swimming pool, sauna and gymnasium.
Nearby there are tennis and squash courts and a bowling green.
Just on the outskirts of town is Glencruitten Golf Course (18 holes).
For yachties, Oban Marina is situated in the shelter of Kerrera. There is a regular shuttle service passenger ferry running from the marina to Oban town centre (mob: 07749307600 / tel: 01631 565333).
Ganavan Sands just 1.75 miles north of the centre of Oban. Picturesque sandy beach with toilets & car park.The Oban Times (local newspaper) has a useful tourist map of Oban which you can download for free.
Events in/around Oban for 2023 include:
For more local events, visit the Oban diary The Skipinnish Ceilidh House (upstairs in George Street overlooking Oban harbour) regularly features authentic Highland music and local bands. Tel: 01631 56 95 99. |
Day Trips from Oban to Mull, Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles:
There are lots of different daily tours usually from April to October. For example, you can take the ferry to Mull and then board a coach with driver-guide. There are various combinations to choose from - short or long - some include a boat trip to Staffa, some give you a couple of hours on Iona. Check out all the options when you get there - pick up leaflets from the tourist office or at the pier. If you wish to enquire in advance, the main day-tour operators for these trips are:
- Caledonian MacBrayne which offers day cruises to the islands, plus dinner cruises also available.
- West Coast Tours in Oban (tel: 01631 566 809). Variety of full day trips to Mull & Iona with the option of including Staffa and/or the Treshnish Isles.
- Gordon Grant Tours opposite Oban railway station on the pier (tel: 01681 700338 / 01631 571112 / 01631 562842). Variety of coach & boat trips departing from Oban: Mull, Iona, Staffa and Treshnish Isles. Boat trips are also available to Staffa and Treshnish Isles from Mull and Kilchoan (Ardnamurchan peninsula). Online booking available.
- Turus Mara boat trips from Mull to Staffa/Iona. Get the ferry from Oban to Craignure and then board their courtesy (advance booking required). Telephone 01688 400 242 or freephone 08000 85 87 86. Alternatively, book through the Turus Mara office at 1 Waterfront (The Restaurant), Railway Pier, Oban (Tel: 01631 566999) or through the Oban Tourist Information Centre.
- CalMac operates a day cruise to the isle of Coll plus a guided tour of the island. Visit the CalMac ferry web site for details. Sundays and Wednesdays during the summer.
- Based in Easdale (south of Oban), Sea.fari Adventures (Oban) offer regular trips in a rigid inflatable boat. These include the Corryvreckan whirlpool, Colonsay, Iona/Staffa, the Garvellachs and whale watching. Visit Scotland 4 star wildlife trip boat operator. Private charter available. Tel: 01852 300003.
- Coastal Connection have 2 cabined RIBs for charter based in Oban. Tel: 01631 565833 / 07919615210.
Sightseeing around Oban
Here are some of the sights to the NORTH of Oban. (Details on places SOUTH of the town are given further down the page.)
From Oban, a small Cal Mac ferry takes you over to Lismore (10 miles long and 1.5 miles wide) in 50 minutes. If you want a short sea-cruise, why not just go there and back. No Sunday service. A small passenger ferry also sails to the island from Port Appin.The island is home to nearly 300 types of plant and 130 species of birds. For a peaceful 'get away from it all' destination it is ideal. There are several ruined castles, brochs and duns. Read more and see photos on the Isle of Lismore page.
DUNOLLIE CASTLE (just on the northern outskirts of Oban) The castle ruins dominate the skyline overlooking the northern entrance to Oban harbour. This was the seat of the MacDougalls, the Lords of Lorne, who once owned a third of Scotland. The 1745 House at Dunollie is a new museum and cultural centre including the renowned Hope MacDougall Collection, a fascinating social history collection drawn from throughout the Highlands and Islands. It has exhibitions and a range of activities for all ages. Open from April. Admission charge (free for children under 16). Guided tours are available. Woodland trails. Telephone 01631 570550. For full details visit the official site: www.dunollie.org This image is copyright Colin Palmer stock photo library (prints and posters available for purchase). |
DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE (5 miles north of Oban)
Once the capital of Dalriada, the original Kingdom of the Scots, it was to here that The Stone of Destiny was originally brought over from Ireland via Iona. This huge, ruined castle is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Open all year: April-September 9.30am-5.30pm, October-March 10am-4pm. In winter, it is closed on Thursday and Friday. Admission charge. Telephone: 01631 562465.
Click here for full details, history and photos on the Chatelaine's Scottish Castles web site.At nearby Dunstaffnage Marina there are facilities for yachts, plus the popular Wide Mouthed Frog restaurant. Also home to Oban Sea Fishing.
The Ocean Explorer Centre opened in 2013 next to Dunstaffnage Castle. Exhibitions, underwater observatory, gift shop and cafe. Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. This is a visitor and outreach facility of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).ARDCHATTAN PRIORY RUINS AND GARDEN (7 miles east of Oban)
It is one of three Valliscaulian houses and was founded in 1231 by Duncan MacDougall, Lord of Lorne. It is said that the last Parliament meeting to be conducted in Gaelic was held here by Robert the Bruce in 1308 or 1309 (depending on which history books you read). The history books also say that it was burned by Cromwell's soldiers in 1654. The house is apparently the second oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Honesty box for access to the gardens and priory ruins which are open 9am-6pm from 1 April (or Good Friday if earlier) - 31 October. Web site.KINTALINE PLANT AND POULTRY CENTRE (north of Oban)
The Kintaline Farm Plant and Poultry Centre at Benderloch includes poultry and waterfowl breeding park & plant nursery full of interesting perennials, herbs and alpines. Fresh Eggs for sale always. Phone 01631 720223.CONNEL (north of Oban)
The village has several hotels and bars. From here you have views of the famous tidal Falls of Lora. The bridge crosses Loch Etive. Connel Airfield is nearby.BARCALDINE CASTLE (left turn several miles before you reach Barcaldine)
Sitting just a few hundred metres from the shore of Loch Creran, the castle can be found to the south-west of Barcaldine. Please respect the owners' privacy. B&B available. Tel: 01631 720598.
Famous for the murder dramatised by Robert Louis Stevenson in his novel "Kidnapped". The incident occurred in 1752 when Colin Campbell of Glenure ("The Red Fox") was shot and fatally wounded. His assailant escaped and an innocent man was tried, then hung some months later. If you want to see where James Stewart was hanged, then look for the white stone on a rock plinth just above the road at the Ballachulish Bridge. It is said that the name of the true murderer, possibly the convicted man's son, has been passed down through the centuries by word of mouth and Campbell's ghost is reported to have been seen on more than one occasion.Kinlochlaich Gardens and Nursery
Near the Appin Police Station you can visit Kinlochlaich House which has the largest Nursery Garden Centre in Scotland. It is open every day (except Sundays from mid-October to March). Also see the Glorious Gardens of Argyll web site.
Castle Stalker photo © giskard | Fotolia.comCASTLE STALKER (25 miles north of Oban)
Built around 1540 by Duncan Stewart of Appin, this much-photographed castle was gifted by him to James IV for use as a hunting lodge. More recently it was used in a Monty Python film. It can be visited during the summer by appointment only. Tel: 01631 730 234. Check the official site for details of guided tours this year.
Overlooking the castle is The View & Co which has a great cafe and gift shop, plus live bird nest cameras and a mini IMAX theatre with local wildlife film. Open all year except January. Tel: 01631 730444. Stretch your legs by taking the path through the gate so you can take a photo of the castle. Located on the main A828 overlooking Loch Linnhe.
For other places a little further away to the north, check my page on Fort William Places to visit south of Oban
Just south of the centre of Oban, you can cross over to Kerrera. At one end of this 4-mile long island stands the monument to David Hutcheson, the first man to start a regular ferry service over to the Hebrides.At the other end is the recently restored Gylen Castle, known as the castle of fountains, which was once a stronghold of the MacDougalls.
The island's other claim to fame is that Alexander II died in Horseshoe Bay in 1249 whilst attempting to recover the Hebrides from King Haakon IV of Norway.
Kerrera is home to wild goats, Soay sheep, otters and seals. Some of which you might see if you're lucky. The tea garden is open Wednesdays - Sundays from Easter to September. A bunkhouse is also available (Tel: 01631 570 223).To reach the island, you need to take the 12-passenger ferry about 2 miles south of Oban on the Gallanach Road. Ferry crossings at 8.45am, then every 30 minutes from 10.30am - 12.30pm and from 2pm - 6pm in summer (less frequently in winter). Rotate the ferry board to black to attract the ferryman's attention.
Kerrera is also home to Oban Marina which runs a passenger ferry to/from Oban North Pier (look for the blue boat called Kerrera). They also offer moorings, repairs, chandlery, storage, toilets/showers/laundry, fuel, etc. Tel: 01631 565 333.
The Isle of Kerrera Development Trust is the local community web site.Take a 2-hour cruise around Kerrera on the spacious catamaran Mara Mhor - starting from the Corran Esplanade Slipway (opposite the Regent Hotel in Oban). Dolphin, seals and birds may be seen. Contact Ron Stevenson. Mob: 07774 475995 / Tel: 01631 563387.
THE BRIDGE OVER THE ATLANTIC (12 miles south of Oban)
This links Seil Island to the mainland. Designed by Telford in
1792, it has a very high back and is host to a rare species of
fairy foxglove. After the Jacobite rising of 1745, the wearing
of kilts carried the death penalty and so it was here that the
Highlanders changed their clothes when venturing across to the
Next to the bridge, you'll find petrol pumps and a kiosk where you can buy local photos, plus an inn called Tigh an Truish (House of the Trousers) where they serve excellent pub food including vegetarian options. |
Photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
Photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
Photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
From April to October you can visit the An Cala gardens on Seil.
In the south-east tip of the island, you can find the Ballachuan Hazel Wood nature reserve which has over 250 different species of lichen.Opposite Ellanabeich is an even smaller island called Easdale (51 inhabitants). Boats go over regularly during the day to take you the 400 metres from Seil to Easdale. The Easdale Folk Museum is open from April to October (the curator, Jean Adams can be contacted on Tel: 01852 300370). The Puffer Bar has a tearoom and restaurant.
Each September it hosts the World Stone Skimming Championship.
Information is available on the Easdale Island Trust web site
Ellanabeich photo copyright
The Internet Guide to ScotlandThe neighbouring Isle of Luing also has its own web site. A regular vehicle ferry operates on the 3 minute crossing from Seil to Luing (phone Argyll & Bute Council on 01631 562125). Once on the island you can hire a bike (phone 01852 314274) or get a trip around with the Postbus at certain times.
Boat trips from Seil Island:
- Based at Balvicar pier, Sealife Adventures offer a variety of trips including the Corryvreckan whirlpool, Garvellachs and whale watching. Tel: 01631 571010 / 01852 300203.
- Based in Easdale, Sea.fari Adventures (Oban) offer regular trips in a rigid inflatable boat. These include the Corryvreckan whirlpool, Iona/Staffa, and whale watching. Private charter available. Tel: 01852 300003.
ARMADDY CASTLE GARDENS (12 miles south of Oban)
Ardmaddy Castle gardens photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
Village on the A816 where The Quaich operates as the local cafe, post office, general store and crafts gallery. Kilmelford community web site.
About 1.5 miles from the main road is Melfort Village - a self catering complex which includes the Shower of Herring - a bar/restaurant open to non-residents (tel: 01852 200 345).
Near here is Melfort House - a luxury country house B&B.ARDUAINE GARDEN (20 miles south of Oban)
Halfway between Oban and Lochgilphead on the main road (A816), look for the brown tourist signs indicating the turn to the gardens and the Loch Melfort Hotel (formerly Arduaine House). Owned by National Trust of Scotland and a member of the Glorious Gardens of Argyll, Arduaine Garden has various routes you can explore depending on the time you have available. Well known for its rhododendrons in particular, there is also mixture of woodland, ponds and a coastal viewpoint. The garden is open all year in daylight hours. The reception centre is staffed from April to end September. Telephone 01852 200366.
The Loch Melfort Hotel bar and restaurant have a great view of the loch and islands, so it's well worth stopping for a bite to eat even if you are not staying at the hotel.CRAOBH HAVEN
Further down the A816 is the Craobh Haven marina which has plenty of facilities for yachts. The brightly painted houses form a new village which also includes a pub.ARDFERN
Local facilities include the marina at the Ardfern Yacht Centre, boat trips by Craignish Cruises and the Ardfern Riding Centre.
Aird Farm Holiday Cottages offer 4 star and 5 star self catering accommodation, 3 miles outside Ardfern.
Carnasserie Castle photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
CARNASSERIE CASTLE (28 miles south of Oban)
KILMARTIN (30 miles south of Oban)
Kilmartin stones photo copyright The Internet Guide to Scotland |
The Crinan Canal takes boats the 9 miles between Crinan on the west coast and Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne. You will probably see lots of yachts at Crinan which has a chandlery and boatyard, as well as various places to eat and stay.KINTYRE
From Lochgilphead you can head further south down to Tarbert on Loch Fyne and the historic sites on the Kintyre Peninsula which has ferries to the Cowal peninsula, Isle of Gigha, Islay and Arran.
Places to visit east of Oban
Part of Loch Etive, seen from the bridge at ConnelLOCH ETIVE
12 miles east of Oban is the village of Taynuilt. Go down to the pier and you can have a cruise on this beautiful loch. A 90-minute cruise departs at 10am and 12 noon every day (except Saturday) from May to September. A 3-hour cruise departs at 2pm every day (except Saturday) from April to October. Details on the Loch Etive cruises web page. Telephone: 01866 822 430.
Taynuilt also has a nice tearoom called Robin's Nest. Inverawe Smokehouse (restaurant and tours) is nearby and specialises in smoked salmon and trout.
Photo copyright Heartland - Fotolia.com |
Photo © The Internet Guide to Scotland |
The castle is open to visitors daily during the summer season (April - October) but only for afternoons on Sundays. Tearoom, toilets and gift shop. 16 acres of grounds. Free access to the woodland walks.
INVERARAY (38 miles south of Oban)
Photo Copyright © 1994 Corel, The Internet Guide to Scotland and its licensors. All rights reserved. Not to be downloaded or reproduced. |
Inveraray saw much wartime activity in the 1940s. Tigh-an-Ruadh (now the Loch Fyne Hotel) was turned into the HQ for Combined Operations Training. A plaque at the hotel commemorates those who visited at that time - including King George VI, de Gaulle, Eisenhower and Winston Churchill (who held some of the War Cabinets here).
This award-winning museum is well worth a visit. It includes a torture and punishment exhibition, the old courtroom which is set out as it would have been in the 1800s, the Old Prison built in 1820 and the New Prison which dates from 1848 from where convicts were sent to Australia. You will meet warders and prisoners walking about in costume.
Since these are old buildings, disabled access is limited to the shop, information room, toilet, courtyard and the ground floor corridor of the Old Prison.
Open every day April - October 9.30 am - 6 pm. Winter 10 am - 5 pm. Telephone: 01499 302 381.
Full details on the Inveraray Jail Museum web site - also includes interactive tour and information about prisoners who were transported to the Colonies.
Photo © The Internet Guide to Scotland |
Located on Loch Fyne, 12 miles south of Inveraray, this is a spectacular 50-acre woodland garden which is particularly beautiful in Spring and Autumn. Gardens are open all year. Visitor Centre open daily from 1 April to 30 September. Owned by The National Trust for Scotland. One of the Glorious Gardens of Argyll. |
Featured Accommodation
16th century castle with secret passages and a dungeon.
Laird's parlour sitting room with open fire.
Choice of 6 bedrooms with loch or countryside views:
B&B prices from £100 per person per night.
Scotland's Best B&Bs is an organisation
To see members of Scotland's Best B&Bs
There are lots of guest houses and hotels in and around Oban, some are advertised on the Oban and Lorn Tourism Association web site.
Bed and Breakfast / Hotels:
- Airds Hotel & Restaurant - excellent accommodation and food. AA4 Red Stars & 3 Red Rosettes. Scottish National Hotel Chef of The Year 2007. Situated in Port Appin. Approximately 20 miles north of Oban and 27 miles south of Fort William. Tel: 01631 730236.
- Braeside Guest House overlooking Loch Feochan is 3 miles from Oban. Scottish Tourist Board 4 Stars. Evening meals available. Contact Jon Freeman. Tel: 01631 770243.
- Briarbank Guest House in Oban offers ensuite accommodation including 4-poster bedrooms. Scottish Tourist Board 4 Stars. Contact Julie Grove. Tel: 01631 566549.
- Collaig House is a luxury B&B at Kilchrenan near Loch Awe (20 minutes from Taynuilt, 35 minutes from Oban). Contact Jamie & Julie Beamish. Tel: 01866 833202.
- Craig Villa Guest House offers 3 star accommodation in the Strath of Orchy at Dalmally by Loch Awe. 5 ensuite bedrooms & 1 with private bathroom. 30 minutes from Oban. Contact Rebecca and Oscar Cressey. Tel: 01838 200255.
- Dunheanish Guest House is a large detached villa in Oban with 6 ensuite bedrooms. Instant online booking available. Tel: 01631 566556.
- Glenlockhart Bed & Breakfast has 3 bedrooms and is situated 5 minutes walk from the main square in Oban. Contact Rob and Linda Allan. Tel: 01631 562571.
- Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island offers luxury 5 Star Gold accommodation on a private island. Accessible by private bridge, approximately 12 miles north of Oban and 40 miles south of Fort William.
- Loch Melfort Hotel and Restaurant - spectacular views across the Sound of Jura to the islands. Situated adjacent to Arduaine Garden, 19 miles south of Oban. Award-winning food. B&B rates or Dinner, B&B packages.
- Sand Villa Guest House in Breadalbane Street, Oban, has 6 ensuite bedrooms. Contact Joyce Gibson. Tel: 01631 562803.
- The Old Manse Guest House is a 4 star guest house in Dalriach Road, Oban, overlooking the bay. Choice of ensuite double/twin rooms, family suite or kingsize luxury rooms. Set in secluded grounds. 2 minutes walk from the town centre. Contact Anna and Simon - tel: 01631 564886.
Miscellaneous self catering listings:
Aird Farm Holiday Cottages offer 4 star and 5 star self catering accommodation. The house sleeps 6 in 4 bedrooms and the luxury cottage sleeps 2. Situated between Oban and Lochgilphead, 3 miles outside Ardfern.
- Bolt Hole Cottage in Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. Scottish Tourist Board 4 stars. Accommodation is all on the ground floor.
- Burnside Cottage in the village of Furnace, 8 miles south of Inveraray, sleeps 5 people. Self catering available per night or per week.
- Craigdhu on Barbreck Farm near Ardfern is a farmhouse with 5 bedrooms sleeping up to 9. Lochgilphead 16 miles. Oban 23 miles.
- Cnocaruan Self Catering at Connel is a 4 star property overlooking the famous Falls of Lora. Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. Contact Gabriella & George McKenzie. Tel: 01631 710378.
- Creagard Country House is available to rent for self-catering holidays on the Isle of Luing. Four 19th century stone quarriers cottages have been combined into this house which sleeps 7 people.
- Loch Awe Log Cabins offer a variety of self catering properties at Dalavich.
- Seabank is a large 5-bedroom farmhouse (sleeping up to 10) on the shore of Loch Creran. Situated in Benderloch, near Barcaldine, 20 minutes north of Oban.
- Spring Cottage sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms and is ideal for families, sitting on the shores of Loch Creran, 1 mile from Port Appin village, 16 miles north of Oban.
- Tralee Bay Holidays offer self catering lodges and caravans to rent all year round just north of Oban.
Hostel Accommodation:
- Oban Backpackers in Breadalbane Street has a choice of dorm accommodation. Online booking. Tel: 01631 562107
- SHYA Hostel on The Esplanade at Oban. 4 star SYHA hostel. 100 beds. Tel: 01631 562025.
- Glencoe Independent Hostel - choice of accommodation in the hostel, bunkhouse, cottage, log cabins, caravans, camping, etc. Tel: 01855 811906. Grid reference NN. 116577.
- SYHA Glencoe Hostel with 56 beds. Map Ref: O.S.41 (GR 118577) Tel: 01855 811 219.
- Inveraray Hostel, Dalmally Road, Inveraray. Tel: 01499 302 454.
Camping / Caravanning:
- Argyll Caravan Park overlooking Loch Fyne near Inveraray. Serviced pitches for touring caravans, plus static holiday homes for hire. 5 star holiday park with bar, diner, playpark and indoor recreation area. Tel: 01499 302285.
- Oban Caravan and Camping Park is at Gallanachmore Farm (tel: 01631 562425 / fax: 01631 566624).
- Roseview Caravan Park, Glen Shallach Road - tel: 01631 562755.
- Strathlachlan Caravan Park is on the east shore of Loch Fyne, 6 miles from Strachur. Tel: 01369 860300.
- Sunnybrae Caravan Park has 6 mobile homes to rent on the Isle of Luing. Tel: 01852 314274.
Eating out in Oban
There are lots of places to eat in Oban, including many of the hotels.
Coast is an awarding-winning contemporary restaurant in George Street, and Cafe Coast is just around the corner.
Cuan Mor is a great gastro pub overlooking the harbour at 60 George Street.
The Spinnaker Cafe is located upstairs at 28 George Street overlooking the harbour.
The Gallery Restaurant in Argyll Square is highly recommended. The Waterfront Restaurant (by the main ferry pier) is renowned for its seafood, as is Ee-usk on the North pier. For pasta and pizza, try Piazza (also on the North Pier in one of the red roofed buildings).
The Seafood Temple is a small family run restaurant on Gallanach Road, just past the ferry terminal. Tel: 01631 566000.
For takeaway fish and chips, try the original Oban Bay Fish & Chip Shop on George Street (next to the back entrance to the Caledonian Hotel, opposite Waterstones) or Norries which is further up George Street.For vegetarian and health foods, try Millstone Wholefoods shop at 15 High Street. Also visit The Kitchen Garden at 14 George Street (tel 01631 566332) which has delicatessen and includes a coffee shop with views over the bay.
Books & Maps
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
For suggested hiking routes, get the book called Walk Oban, Mull and Lochaber. Written by Richard Hallewell it is a handy 64-page spiral bound book printed by Collins Cartographic.
If you are touring by car, a useful map indicating all the places to visit for sightseeing is the
Oban and Mull Tourist Map.
Easdale, Belnahua, Luing & Seil
The Islands that Roofed the World This book contains a comprehensive history of the slate industry in the west of Scotland, complete with a detailed and vivid account of the communities on the Atlantic bound islands of Easdale, Seil, Luing and Belnahua. The author Mary Withall is the Easdale Island Folk Museum archivist. Paperback. 128 pages. Second edition published in April 2001. Available from Amazon.co.uk (commission link) and Amazon.com (commission link) |
Argyll and the Western Isles
Part of the Exploring Scotland's Heritage series and is a very useful guide to these parts of the country. This 192-page paperback is about 15 US dollars. To order your copy, click here |
Oban, Mull and Kintyre
Another useful colour guide book especially for walking in this area. By Brian Conduit and John Brooks. To order your copy, click here |
Oban and the Land of Lorn
Collection of old photographs from the days when pleasure steamers filled Oban Bay and McCaig's Folly had yet to be built. Section One features Inveraray to Port Appin - including Dalmally, Lochawe, Taynuilt, Bonawe, Ardchattan Priory, Lochnell Castle, Eriska, Barcaldine Castle, Castle Stalker and Lismore. Section Two covers the town of Oban and its maritime and commercial activities. Also includes Dunollie Castle, Ganavan Sands, Dunstaffnage, Connel, etc. Section Three is entitled 'Oban to Dunadd' and begins with pictures of Oban's South Pier and Lighthouse Pier, before continuing southwards to the Slate Islands of Kerrera, Seil, Easdale and Luing. To order your copy, click here |
Scottish Highlands and Islands
Latest edition of the popular Rough Guide series exclusively devoted to the Highlands & Islands. One of the top best-selling guide books on Scotland. Order your copy from Amazon.com (commission link) or Amazon.co.uk (commission link) |
Tourist Information Centres
Argyll Square, Oban PA34 4AN
Telephone: 01631 563122 Open all year |
Front Street, Inveraray
Telephone: 01499 302063 Open all year |
Request a free brochure from the official tourist board
Explore Oban & Mull downloadable PDF leaflet
Useful Links:
The Oban and Lorn Tourism Association (official guide)
Oban.ws (Oban, Lorn & North Argyll web directory)
Oban Times (local newspaper) - includes downloadable town map of Oban
Oban & Argyll - info by local resident
Oban walks
Guide to Benderloch
More places to visit: Fort William (North of Oban)
and Argyll (South of Oban)
Nearby Islands: Lismore
- Mull
- Iona


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